Reality TV hosts eligible for Emmy

Reality TV hosts eligible for Emmy

LOS ANGELES — Real competition is coming to reality TV: Hosts including Ryan Seacrest, Howie Mandel and Tyra Banks are now eligible for an Emmy Award. A category recognizing “outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition program” was created by the Academy of Television Arts Sciences and will be presented at the 60th annual Emmys in September. The award recognizes that reality TV has become “an integral part of television and our culture,” John Shaffner, chairman and CEO of the TV academy, said in a statement Tuesday announcing the new honor.

Star Jones to divorce

NEW YORK — Three years after tying the knot in a spectacular, over-the-top affair that caused some backlash, Star Jones has decided to end her marriage to banker Al Reynolds. The 46-year-old TV personality quietly filed divorce papers March 26 in New York Supreme Court in Manhattan. The records are sealed, syndicated entertainment show “Entertainment Tonight” reported Wednesday. But a representative for SHADOW PR, which represents Jones, confirmed to The Associated Press that she is seeking to end the union.

In a statement to “Entertainment Tonight,” Jones said: “Several years ago I made an error in judgment by inviting the media into the most intimate area of my life. A month ago I filed for divorce.SDRq

Today’s birthdays

Actress Shirley MacLaine is 74. Actress-singer-director Barbra Streisand is 66. Country singer Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys is 65. Drummer Doug Clifford (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 63. Actor Eric Bogosian is 55. Actor Michael O’Keefe (“Roseanne”) is 53. Actor-comedian Cedric the Entertainer is 44. Drummer Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 40. Actress Melinda Clarke (“The O.C.”) is 39. Actor Eric Balfour (”24”) is 31. Singer Kelly Clarkson (“American Idol”) is 26.